Avoidance of HPV Vaccine may Contribute to Increase of Some Cancers?

Story at-a-glance -

A new report published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute highlights increasing rates of human papillomavirus (HPV)-related cancers, and uses this as a platform to peddle "efforts to increase vaccination coverage"

Research has shown that the HPV vaccine’s effectiveness is not only overstated (through the use of selective reporting or "cherry picking" data) but also completely unproven

Ever since Gardasil vaccine was licensed in 2006, reports of serious adverse events have included autoimmune and neurological disorders sometimes involving clinical symptoms similar to cerebral vasculitis, an often-fatal condition in which blood vessels in the spinal cord and brain become acutely and chronically inflamed

In more than 90 percent of cases, your immune system can clear up an HPV infection within two years on its own

By Dr. Mercola

A new report published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute highlights increasing rates of human papillomavirus (HPV)-related cancers, and uses this as a platform to peddle “efforts to increase vaccination coverage.”1

The report, which notes increased rates for two HPV-associated cancers (oropharynx (throat) and anus), points out that 32 percent of girls aged 13 to 17 received all three doses of the HPV vaccine Gardasil or Cervarix in 2010.

This suggested that these “low” vaccination rates may be in part responsible for the rise in HPV-associated cancers. Yet, to paint Gardasil as a vaccine that prevents cancer is beyond stretching the truth and borderline fraudulent.

The HPV Vaccine has NOT Been Proven to Prevent Cancer

A systematic review of pre- and post-licensure trials of the HPV vaccine by a Canadian team shows that its effectiveness is not only overstated (through the use of selective reporting or "cherry picking" data) but also completely unproven. The summary states it quite clearly:2

"We carried out a systematic review of HPV vaccine pre- and post-licensure trials to assess the evidence of their effectiveness and safety. We find that HPV vaccine clinical trials design, and data interpretation of both efficacy and safety outcomes, were largely inadequate.

Additionally, we note evidence of selective reporting of results from clinical trials (i.e., exclusion of vaccine efficacy figures related to study subgroups in which efficacy might be lower or even negative from peer-reviewed publications).

Given this, the widespread optimism regarding HPV vaccines long-term benefits appears to rest on a number of unproven assumptions (or such which are at odds with factual evidence) and significant misinterpretation of available data.

For example, the claim that HPV vaccination will result in approximately 70% reduction of cervical cancers is made despite the fact that the clinical trials data have not demonstrated to date that the vaccines have actually prevented a single case of cervical cancer (let alone cervical cancer death), nor that the current overly optimistic surrogate marker-based extrapolations are justified.

We thus conclude that further reduction of cervical cancers might be best achieved by optimizing cervical screening (which carries no such risks) and targeting other factors of the disease rather than by the reliance on vaccines with questionable efficacy and safety profiles."

Does Gardasil Really Prevent Anal Cancer?

Gardasil, which was licensed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2006, is now recommended as a routine vaccination for young girls and women between the ages of 9-26 in the United States. In October 2011, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices also voted to recommend giving the HPV vaccine to males between the ages of 11 and 21 (there is also a second HPV vaccine on the market, Cervarix, licensed in 2009 but Gardasil continues to generate the majority of U.S. HPV vaccine sales).

Gardasil is promoted for boys allegedly to offer partial protection against genital warts and cancers of the penis and rectum, and to reduce transmission of HPV to girls, thereby preventing cervical cancer deaths (which is highly questionable, as noted above).

As far as anal cancer goes, there were about 6,230 new cases (3,980 in women and 2,250 in men) in 2012, along with about 780 deaths (480 in women and 300 in men).3

Gardasil is claimed to be 75 percent effective against anal cancer in men, so crunch the numbers... This is simply irrational behavior motivated by pure greed.

They actually want to place millions of people at risk with this risky vaccine in order to reduce anal cancer deaths that claim 300 men per year? That's incredible! Likewise, cervical cancer accounts for less than ONE percent of all cancer deaths. And even these statistics conceal the fact that conventional treatment with chemotherapy, surgery and radiation is itself a major, though unreported, contributing cause of deaths attributed to the anal and cervical cancer per se. So, this vaccine is certainly not aimed at any major health threat, no matter which way you look at it. But it gets worse. As explained by medical investigative journalist Jeanne Lenzer:4

"First off, let's define the problem: The annual number of deaths from anal-rectal cancer among all men in the U.S. is 300. And how did Merck get its happy statistics on efficacy?

Once again, they reported an idealized benefit by excluding from analysis 1,250 study violators out of 4,055 total test subjects. When the real-world analysis was conducted, the numbers plunged—right down to plum nothing. After evaluating tissue changes in male genitalia that were suggestive of a cancer precursor, Merck reported that vaccine efficacy against such lesions 'was not observed.'"

Research published last year also revealed that the HPV vaccine reduced HPV-16 infections by only 0.6% in vaccinated women vs. unvaccinated women – and data that showed other high-risk HPV infections were diagnosed in vaccinated women 2.6% to 6.2% more frequently than unvaccinated women.5

This alarming data supports previous suspicions that Gardasil HPV vaccine might actually increase your risk of cervical cancer. The information came straight from Merck and was presented to the FDA prior to approval.6 According to Merck's own research, if you have been exposed to HPV strains 16 or 18 prior to injection and take Gardasil vaccine, you may increase your risk of precancerous lesions, or worse, by 44.6 percent!

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Is the HPV Vaccine 'Already' Providing Herd Immunity?

In a study looking at prevalence rates of HPV in young women before and after HPV vaccine, it was found that the four strains targeted by the vaccine, which are the ones most commonly associated with cervical cancer, went down significantly. They also found that rates of these HPV strains also dropped in women who had NOT been vaccinated, which they suggested was evidence of “herd immunity.”

Now, Gardasil has accomplished this “amazing feat” in just six years―long before mass use of most vaccines begin to show any sign of what's known as herd immunity. It is typically taught that the vaccine-acquired herd immunity threshold is anywhere between 80-95 percent of the population, depending on the disease. So, HOW could the HPV vaccine confer herd immunity when, on a nationwide basis, less than half of teens and young women have received the vaccine (and the vast majority of those have only received one-third of the recommended number of doses)?

For the HPV vaccine to suddenly confer herd immunity at less than 50 percent coverage is simply impossible by the very definition of herd immunity.

This "study" is nothing but marketing masquerading as science. And it’s also not highlighted that at least five individuals on the seven-member team making these over-the-top claims are paid speakers and consultants for Merck, or have received research funds from Merck to develop this vaccine―meaning this wasn't exactly an independent, outside group with no conflicting interests in the outcome. Please also note that the president of the Merck Vaccine Division, Julie Gerberding, who you may remember as the former head of the CDC, the federal agency responsible for public health vaccine recommendations.

Not to mention, this study also found that rates of infection with HPV strains not included in the vaccine are on the rise, which may be a direct result of the vaccination itself. Ars Technica reported:7

“The authors suggest this may be evidence that a concern voiced by some researchers may be playing out: the different strains of HPV compete with each other to some extent and, with the vaccine eliminating some of them, the remainder are spreading more efficiently.”

Finally, what is also being overlooked is the fact that in more than 90 percent of cases, your immune system can clear up an HPV infection within two years on its own. So perhaps the dropping HPV rates noted among unvaccinated women has nothing to do with vaccine-induced herd immunity and everything to do with the power of their own immune systems ...

Do You Know the Serious Risks Associated with HPV Vaccines?

As of mid-2012, the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) has received 119 reports of death following HPV vaccination,8 as well as:

894 reports of disability

517 life-threatening adverse events

9,889 emergency room visits

2,781 hospitalizations

Ever since Gardasil vaccine was licensed in 2006, reports of serious adverse events have included autoimmune and neurological disorders sometimes involving clinical symptoms similar to cerebral vasculitis, an often-fatal condition in which blood vessels in the spinal cord and brain become acutely and chronically inflamed.

According to one study, many of the symptoms reported to vaccine safety surveillance databases following Gardasil shots are associated with cerebral vasculitis and, in some cases, cerebral vasculitis may well be triggered by Gardasil vaccine,9 even though public health agencies are still maintaining that the vaccine is safe! Canadian researchers have further stated:10

“...the notion that HPV vaccines have an impressive safety profile is only supported by highly flawed design of safety trials and is contrary to accumulating evidence from vaccine safety surveillance databases and case reports which continue to link HPV vaccination to serious adverse outcomes (including death and permanent disabilities.”

How to Talk to Your Kids About HPV...

If you are a parent, it is important to educate your pre-teens and teenagers so they know that the risks of getting or transmitting HPV infection can be greatly reduced by choosing abstinence or use of condoms. Even if they get vaccinated, it is essential that girls and women know they must be screened every few years for cervical changes that may indicate pre-cancerous lesions because there is little guarantee that either Gardasil or Cervarix will prevent HPV infection or cervical and other cancers.

Routine pap smear testing is a far more rational and less dangerous strategy for cervical cancer prevention, as it can identify chronic HPV infection and may provide greater protection against development of cervical cancer than reliance on HPV vaccinations. Cervical cancer cases have dropped more than 70 percent in the United States since pap screenings became a routine part of women's health care in the 1960s, as it can detect pre-cancerous lesions early so they can be effectively removed and treated.

Your Right to Informed Consent is Under Attack

I cannot stress enough how critical it is to get involved and stand up for your fundamental human right to exercise informed consent to medical risk-taking and your legal right to obtain non-medical vaccine exemptions. This does not mean you have to opt out of all vaccinations if you decide that you want to give one or more vaccines to your child. The point is, everyone should have the right to evaluate the potential benefits and real risks of pharmaceutical products, including vaccines, and opt out of getting any vaccine or drug they decide is unnecessary or not in the best interest of their child's health.

While it seems "old-fashioned," the only truly effective actions you can take to protect the right to informed consent to vaccination and legally obtain vaccine exemptions is to get personally involved with your state legislators and the leaders in your community. Vaccine use recommendations are made at the federal level but vaccine laws are made at the state level, and it is at the state level where your action to protect your vaccine choices can have the greatest impact.

Signing up for NVIC's free Advocacy Portal at www.NVICAdvocacy.org not only gives you immediate, easy access to your state legislators so you can become an effective vaccine choice advocate in your own community, but when state and national vaccine issues come up, you will have the up-to-date information and call to action items you need at your fingertips to make sure your voice is heard.

Contact Your Elected Officials

Write or email your elected state representatives and share your concerns. Call them, or better yet, make an appointment to visit them in person in their office. Don't let them forget you!

It is so important for you to reach out and make sure your concerns get on the radar screen of the leaders and opinion makers in your community, especially the politicians you elect and are directly involved in making vaccine laws in your state. These are your elected representatives, so you have a right and a responsibility to let them know what's really happening in your life and the lives of people you know when it comes to vaccine mandates. Be sure to share the "real life" experiences that you or people you know have had with vaccination.

Share Your Story with the Media and People You Know

If you or a family member has suffered a serious vaccine reaction, injury or death, please talk about it. If we don't share information and experiences with each other, everybody feels alone and afraid to speak up. Write a letter to the editor if you have a different perspective on a vaccine story that appears in your local newspaper. Make a call in to a radio talk show that is only presenting one side of the vaccine story.

I must be frank with you; you have to be brave because you might be strongly criticized for daring to talk about the "other side" of the vaccine story. Be prepared for it and have the courage to not back down. Only by sharing our perspective and what we know to be true about vaccination will the public conversation about vaccination open up so people are not afraid to talk about it.

We cannot allow the drug companies and medical trade associations funded by drug companies to dominate the conversation about vaccination. The vaccine injured cannot be swept under the carpet and treated like nothing more than "statistically acceptable collateral damage" of national one-size-fits-all mass vaccination policies that put way too many people at risk for injury and death. We shouldn't be treating people like guinea pigs instead of human beings.

Internet Resources Where You Can Learn More

I encourage you to visit the following web pages on the National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC) website at www.NVIC.org:

NVIC Memorial for Vaccine Victims: View descriptions and photos of children and adults, who have suffered vaccine reactions, injuries and deaths. If you or your child experiences an adverse vaccine event, please consider posting and sharing your story here.

Vaccine Freedom Wall: View or post descriptions of harassment by doctors, employers or school officials for making independent vaccine choices.

Connect with Your Doctor or Find a New One Who Will Listen and Care

If your pediatrician or doctor refuses to provide medical care to you or your child unless you agree to get vaccines you don't want, I strongly encourage you to have the courage to find another doctor. Harassment, intimidation, and refusal of medical care is becoming the modus operandi of the medical establishment in an effort to stop the change in attitude of many parents about vaccinations after they become truly educated about health and vaccination.

However, there is hope.

At least 15 percent of young doctors recently polled admit that they're starting to adopt a more individualized approach to vaccinations in direct response to the vaccine safety concerns of parents. It is good news that there is a growing number of smart young doctors, who prefer to work as partners with parents in making personalized vaccine decisions for children, including delaying vaccinations or giving children fewer vaccines on the same day or continuing to provide medical care for those families, who decline use of one or more vaccines.

So take the time to locate a doctor, who treats you with compassion and respect and is willing to work with you to do what is right for your child.

Disclaimer: The entire contents of this website are based upon the opinions of Dr. Mercola, unless otherwise noted. Individual articles are based upon the opinions of the respective author, who retains copyright as marked. The information on this website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Dr. Mercola and his community. Dr. Mercola encourages you to make your own health care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional. If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition, consult your health care professional before using products based on this content.

If you want to use an article on your site please click here. This content may be copied in full, with copyright, contact, creation and information intact, without specific permission, when used only in a not-for-profit format. If any other use is desired, permission in writing from Dr. Mercola is required.

Disclaimer: The entire contents of this website are based upon the opinions of Dr. Mercola, unless otherwise noted. Individual articles are based upon the opinions of the respective author, who retains copyright as marked. The information on this website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Dr. Mercola and his community. Dr. Mercola encourages you to make your own health care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional. If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition, consult your health care professional before using products based on this content.

If you want to use an article on your site please click here. This content may be copied in full, with copyright, contact, creation and information intact, without specific permission, when used only in a not-for-profit format. If any other use is desired, permission in writing from Dr. Mercola is required.